Explore Folk Music in USA

GOSPEL MUSIC FROM INDIA, PAKISTAN, BANGLADESH
RIYAAZ
QAWWALI
Riyaazqawwali.com

OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
S O N N Y K. M E H TA
With a harmonious blend of South Asian and the Western influences,
Sonny K. Mehta leads the ensemble as the artistic director for
Riyaaz Qawwali. With over 24 years of classical music training, he
has spent half of that time devoted to understanding and growing
awareness of qawwali.
With fluency in Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi and English, he is well suited to be
a cultural ambassador and take a very secluded/folk art form (as well
as the associated poetry) to the Western audiences and the newer
South Asian generations.

CLASSIFICATIONS OF QAWWALI
HAMD
Praise for Allah
GHAZAL
Poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a
refrain. Although the ghazal is most prominently a
form of Persian and Urdu poetry, today it is found in
the poetry of many languages.
NAAT
Praise of the Prophet Muhammad
MUNADJAAT
Song where the singer displays his gratefulness to
Allah through a variety of linguistic techniques
MANQABAT
praise of either Imam Ali or one of the Sufi saints
MARSIYA
Dirge lamenting the death of much of Imam Husayn’s
family in the Battle of Karbala
KAFI
Devotional poem themed around heroic and great
romantic tales from the folkfore, often used as a
metaphor for mystical truths, and spiritual longing
characterized by a musical refrain that sets a mood
much like in a Ghazal

INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC
Riyaaz Qawwali ensemble Perform Indian Semi
classical music. Hindus sing bhajans as part of a
religious ceremony. The lyrics are in many Indian
languages. While there are no musical prescriptions
for bhajans, usually a harmonium and tabla are used
as the instruments to support the main singer.
Riyaaz Qawwali has performed several bhajans.
These include Raghupati raghav raja ram, Man lagyo
yaar fakeeri mein, Gaiye ganpati jagvandan, Hare
rama hare krishna, Payo ji maine raam ratan dhan
payo, etc.

Riyaaz Qawwali’s mission is to
expand Folk Music in USA to
new audiences. The ensemble
wants to expand the reach of
the genre to new stages and
people of other faiths and
traditions.

CORPORATE SHOWS
Most of the musicians in Riyaaz Qawwali have full-time jobs, employed in oil & gas, in healthcare, and
even higher education. They are all too familiar with corporate expectations and the demands that of
such an environment. We can relate to the 9 to 5 grind.
Other corporation have used our music and performances to help their brand or their employees
understand a growing customer-base of South Asian Americans. This minority is the fastest growing
population in the United States. They account for a large number of affulent people, including doctors,
lawyers, engineers and business owners.
Corporations can use our ensemble as the main attraction at their holiday parties,
designed to celebrate any Hindu, Sikh, or Muslim festivals. With the mix of South
Asian and the Western music, Riyaaz Qawwali has been found as an Interfaith in
USA.

THE QAWWALI EXPERIMENT
Qawwalis are far lengthier than a typical modern song. They average 15 minutes, with the longest
single track being on the upwards of 70 minutes! Audiences today are used to listening to short pieces.
The Experiment aims to bridge the gap.
The effort will also introduce modern musical elements, traditionally not heard in qawwali. The purpose: to
give these compositions a similar texture to what is found in pop music today. While, we will not
abandoning the traditional elements of qawwali (like harmonium, clapping, tabla-dhamma, etc.), the
modern elements will be used to enhance the pieces.

TO KNOW ABOUT
BOOKING DETAILS
CONTACT US
ADDRESS
16910 Hidden Treasure,
Friendswood TX 77546
PHONE
+832-875-4139
EMAIL
riyaazqawwali@gmail.com
WEBSITE
Riyaazqawwali.com

Our Social
Media
FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/Riyaazq/
Platforms
INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/riyaazqawwali/
TWITTER
https://twitter.com/riyaaz_qawwali